Adventures with Bucky: Sputnik (9)
by MerlinOfTheShire
Summary: 6 months after Civil War, Hydra is beginning to be just another memory for Bucky. Something he was overcoming. It had taken a lot or work, but he was getting there. However, will it all of been for nothing when he once again finds himself in the hands of Hydra? Or will Steve get to him before it's too late?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

 **A/N** **The current order for the AWB series is Symbol, Return, Nightmare, Frisbee Game, The Dog and the Storm, Raccoon Guy, Two Days , 34 Years Going on 100, and now Sputnik.**

 **(I quotes Sebastian Stan at P.1 Line 7) I also got the ideas for the meaning behind the trigger words form this website:**

 **articles/158905-what-do-buckys-winter-soldier-activation-words-mean-the-code-is-as-mysterious-as-the-characters**

* * *

 _Adventures with Bucky: Sputnik (part 1)_

Much had happened to Bucky in the 6 months since the events of Civil War. He had left cryo freeze and moved back to New York Steve and his friends, and had started attending meetings with a professional psychologist. Missions with Steve was once again soon about to become a reality. Aside from all this, he had started going outside by himself again, now that the public generally regarded him as innocent once more he felt it was a bit safer. He still hadn't got that new arm. Tony was still working on various design plans that needed to be reviewed a few more times before he was allowed to choose one. He was looking forward to that. It would be something new, something clean and untainted without, as the saying goes, blood on it.

Yet, he still felt responsible. What he had done still haunted him, like waking up from a nightmare only to find out it was real. Though he supposed that, after everything, there was still some good in his life. The avengers, Brook, his new friends, and of course Steve. He'd always had Steve.

Bucky smiled fondly. Good, kind, reckless Steve. Shaking his head, he made his way to the Avenger's living room where he knew Steve was spending his time by sketching, catching up on history (pop culture) or lecturing Tony about something righteous. Kid never knew when to stop.

True enough, there Steve was, stretched out on the couch, with an iPad in hand. He seemed to be running some sort of digital art program and was attempting to master the controls. Bucky wasn't sure if he had gotten anywhere with that yet.

"Hey, Steve. I'm going to go do a milk run, I'll be back in half an hour ok," he said, making sure his friend heard him correctly. He was actually going to get eyeliner _and_ milk, but Steve didn't need to know that.

Steve looked up from his iPad. "Sure think Bucky, take your phone and Brook too, will you."

Bucky nodded, understanding Steve's concern. Ever since the Avenger's Civil War, Steve had been a little more protective over him then usual. Which was saying something. The phone he understood, but Bucky knew that Steve was only asking him to take his dog so he still had someone with him who could help defend him incase an angry civilian took a swing at him. Not that it would do much, he may only have arm, and a normal one at that, but he was a super-soldier. Though he supposed, there was always a chance. The last time it had happened there had only been one guy, and he started a Civil War.

Sighing, Bucky headed for the first floor.

* * *

The milk (eyeliner) run hadn't taken that long to do, it had only taken him a few minutes to walk to the closest store, and a few more to buy what he was looking for and stuff it into his backpack. He now found himself heading home through the labyrinth of buildings. _Home._ That was a nice thought to lighten up the darkening streets. He supposed it was home because that's where his heart was. It felt very cheesy.

He looked down at his dog, who was watching him intently as she trotted along side him through the back streets of New York, his preferred route. Much less crowded. "What do you think, Brook, is the Avengers Tower my home?"

"Not for much longer," an icy voice said.

Bucky felt his heart skip a beat at the unexpected voice. It was cold, and tinged with an obvious cruelness. _How did they sneak up on me like that_ …? Suddenly, Brook started to growl, letting Bucky know that who ever this person was, was a threat and was getting closer. Brook never got a person's character wrong. He trusted her.

Breathing deeply, the ex-assassin prepared to turn suddenly, so he could deliver a solid punch to the owner of the voice. As he swung, he felt something solid collide with his leg, throwing him off balance so he fell. Someone else's leg, and not one that belonged to the voice, for its owner was stood in front of him. He looked behind him, so he could see his attacker.

Bucky felt his blood run cold.

"No…" he whispered, desperately trying to get to his feet.

The man above him grinned, delivering a kick to Bucky's stomach, sending him back to the ground. "Cut off one head, two more shall take its place."

Brook's growling turned into a deep throated sneer; her teeth drawn back as she waited for Bucky to let her attack.

Desperately, he tried to get up again, but to no avail, as a new figure roughly shoved him back down by what was remained of his left shoulder. "Get away from me," he growled defensively. There were three of them, possibly more, against one super soldier with a missing arm. He cursed himself for not bringing any weapons.

Yet, he had brought Brook. Suddenly, he wished he hadn't.

Not seeming to be able to contain her anger any longer, Brook launched herself at Bucky's attacker, the one who had pushed him to the ground by his shoulder. Bucky watched in shock as Brook clamped her strong jaws around the mans forearm like a vice, refusing to let go even as the man swung her body around in the air in a frantic attempt to be rid of her.

Noticing that the other two were distracted, Bucky took his chance and got to his feet as swiftly as he could manage with one arm, only to be frozen in horror as one of the two remaining men took aim at Brook.

There was a gunshot, followed by a yelp of pain. Then there was only silence.

Letting out a cry of rage, Bucky charged at the one who had fired, throwing his body weight onto the man so they both toppled to the ground. Unable to control his fury, he swung his right fist into the man's jaw, then again, and again, and again, until suddenly he felt hands pulling him away, pushing him to his knees as he struggled. Through the cloudiness of his vision he identified that there was now more then three people. One of them was speaking frantically to the other before approaching him, a cold frown on his face as he stared down at him.

A single left his lips. A word that had long since been used to shut down the Winter Solider. To 'deactivate' him. A word that filled Bucky with fear.

"Sputnik."

Just like that, Bucky collapsed to the ground. Unconscious and helpless, and in the hands of Hydra.

* * *

Steve resisted the urge to bite his nails as he paced. He was growing nervous; it was taking to long. He tried to reassure himself that the reason for Bucky's lateness was because he was spending to much time selecting an eyeliner. Yet, years of experience told him that that was simply wishful thinking. He paced back in front of the couch again, pretending not to notice the intense gaze of Natasha, who was pretending to be reading her book.

"He should be back by now, Nat," he said, throwing his hands to his sides in defeat. "Why isn't he back, he said he would only be half an hour, its been one and a half."

Natasha placed her book down, rising so she was stood in front of him. "He may have gotten distracted, or ran into somebody.

Steve frowned, folding his arms, "that's exactly what I'm worried about."

Sighing in understanding, Natasha nodded her head. "Do you know if he took his phone?"

"Yea, he took his phone, and Brook. Do you think we could see where he has gone if we located it?" Steve asked, looking hopeful.

Natasha nodded, making her way to the discarded iPad. "that's exactly what I'm thinking."

Steve watched intently as she tapped and swiped away at the iPad, desperate for any idea of where his friend was. He didn't want to have a repeat of a year of searching. Though, not for one second did he think that Bucky had run off on his own, which is why he was so worried. Someone might have found him.

"Steve," Natasha said, beckoning him over.

Not wasting a second, Steve moved to her side, peering over he shoulder at the screen. Natasha had tracked his phone successfully; a map of where it had been being loading on the screen. With frantic eyes, Steve followed the red line from the Avengers tower to the corner store a few blocks away, noticing Bucky had taken a rather obscure route. He hadn't diverted from the path yet. He continued to watch as the red line moved back towards the Avengers Tower, once again using the back alleys instead of the public sidewalks. Then suddenly, it stopped, before turning in another random direction, this time following the roads.

"He must have gotten into a car," Nat said, also surveying the route.

Steve shook his head, "no. Somethings not right. The change of route was too sudden. Can you get any security forage up of the area he changed direction in?" he asked, feeling his heart rate going up.

Nat zoomed in onto the location before nodding. "He was right behind a populated building, there should be cameras there," she said, once again getting to work on the ipad in an attempt to find any security footage.

Though it only took Natasha a few minutes to find the right footage, to Steve it felt like hours.

"Done," she declared, angling the iPad so Steve could see.

And so they watched, unable to do anything else. They watched Bucky walking calmly, every now and then glancing towards Brook. They watched as a dark figure appeared behind Bucky. They watched as Bucky was tripped to the ground by another figure, before being kicked in the stomach and shoved to the ground by his left shoulder. They watched as Brook launched herself onto one of the figures, earning herself a bullet. They watched as Bucky launched into an attack on the one with the gun, only to be pulled away after a few punches. Then, frozen in shock, they watched, unable to do a thing, as Bucky collapsed to the ground unconscious before being pulled to a vehicle, captured.

Breathing labored, Steve moved to sit down on the couch so he didn't fall to the ground. He put his head in his hands, elbows resting on his knees. He felt sick. They had him. Hydra had him. Again.

Natasha still stood, seeming to be staring at nothing. "They must have known about the word."

Steve breathed in a ragged breath, his chest rising unevenly. "They're the ones who programmed it into him."

Natasha moved to stand in front of him, noticing the change within him.

Steve felt himself growing more panicked. "Nat, they've got him again," he said, voice beginning to break as his breaths became shorted and quicker. "I promised him they would get him, I promised they wouldn't take him away again, Nat," he rasped, growing light headed; on the verge of being sick. He felt Nat pull his hands away from his face. He met her eyes. "I can't lose him again, Nat. I can't."

Natasha nodded, "And you aren't going to, but you're going to need to calm down. We can't rescue him if you can't focus Steve. You need to focus," she said firmly. "Think about how we are going to get him back, think about how important he is to you Steve."

Slowly, following her advice, Steve began to regulate his breathing; his thoughts only about Bucky. Taking a deep breath, Steve rose to his feet. "Do we know where they went?"

Natasha nodded her head, "we can follow his phone," she clarified, moving back to the iPad so she could continue viewing the surveillance footage. "Steve, I think we might need to make another stop."

Steve turned to her, confused. "What, why?"

Natasha didn't take her eyes away from the screen. "I think Brook's still alive, but for how long I don't know."

Steve could barely believe what he was hearing. So much was going on…

"I can help you get him back Steve," a new voice said, emanating from the doorway. Tony. He looked like he had been standing there for some time.

Steve looked at Tony for a moment, calculating the offer in his head. Finally, he nodded. "Do you think you can fly there?" he asked. "Nat and me can drive out, and maybe Sam can go get Brook."

Tony nodded, "yeah, I can. I can go get a head start there if you tell me where to land."

Natasha gave him the location, showing him the route as Tony called one of his suits.

Steve took this time to call Sam, filling him in. Thankfully, Sam agreed, and by the time Tony and he where suited up, Sam was already driving out to Brook, medical kit in the back of his car.

Swallowing, Steve looked at the route on the iPad one last time, focusing on the final destination. "I'll find you Buck, I promise."

* * *

Bucky couldn't remember how he got there. Only Brook getting shot and somebody saying that bloody word. He supposed they had transported him while he was out, like they always used to. He recognised the base however, and it sent a shiver down his spine. He didn't know where the place was, just that he knew it. It was the same as all the others. A cryo-chamber, some cells and computers, and a chair. He only had a few moments to take in his surroundings and understand the situation before a sharp punch was delivered to to his jaw. Holding back a cry, he looked up to his attacker. It was the one who had shot Brook; now he was carrying a rifle, ready to fire at Bucky's head if he deemed necessary. Despite this, Bucky was proud to see that he had left a few nasty bruises of his own. He supposed the man considered the punch revenge.

"Welcome home," The man sneered.

Trying to hide how scared he suddenly felt, Bucky kept eye contact with the man as he walked around the room, circling him. He would not break, not after everything that had happened. Not after how much devotion and work Steve had put in to making sure he was safe. They would not break him.

The man stopped in front of him, daring him to react, to fight back. And oh how Bucky wanted too. How he wanted to get to his feet and nock the man to the ground. He wanted to knock the life out of the man. But of course, he didn't. He couldn't. Not yet.

Frustrated at not being able to get a reaction out of Bucky, the Hydra agent moved away, coming back a moment later with another agent. This one held a notepad under the crook of his arm. He reminded Bucky of one of the first Hydra agents to ever treat him like an experiment, like the Winter Soldier. He hated them.

The first Hydra agent resumed pointing the rifle at him; Bucky maintained his breathing, once again refusing to break eye contact.

The second agent looked at him for a moment, before speaking another word. One of ten.

"Longing."

Bucky felt his heart skip a beat, still expecting himself to react to the word. He had beaten it a long time ago. He had learnt that if he found what the origin of the words were, then countered them with something, they would not work. It had taken a lot of practice, and many attempts had gone wrong, resulting in someone, usually Steve, having to say the deactivation word. Those days where always a little colder, a little sadder. But they had passed.

Bucky focused on the word, originally it had meant longing for the time he belonged too, because that's where Steve was. That's where his life had been. But he was with Steve now, and he no longer felt such a strong pull to the past. The word was ineffective, but Bucky dared not let these men know this yet. He stilled himself, bowing his head and focusing on keeping calm and thinking through the next word.

"Rusted."

This one was harder, and Bucky felt himself flicker away for a second. Just a second. The word was associated with his metal arm, and what it and he would be without Hydra. Now of course, that was no longer the case. Though sometimes it was hard to remember. Not all days where good ones.

"Seventeen."

This one was easier, 1917 being the year he was born. Hydra had manipulated the number, making it a curse. A curse because he, after everything, had fallen into the hands of Hydra. It was kind of fortunate that around the time he had gotten to breaking this word, the year was 2017. A new beginning.

"Daybreak."

This one, similar to the last, was used to associate waking up from cryo every time hydra needed him to kill someone. Now he associated it with a new beginning, a new day. This was one of the words that had the least effect on him now.

'Furnace."

This word was associated with heat, anger, hell, and all that comes with it. The opposite of what the old Bucky Barnes had been. However, he was, and always would be, Bucky Barnes. Furnace could also mean warmth, security, and even comfort. Things he felt now.

"Nine."

The word was specifically associated with Hydra, for the monster was said to have nine heads, until someone cut one off. This connected to Hydra's enforcing that no matter what, Hydra would always be there; he could not escape. Yet, he had. He would again.

Bucky had countered this by reminding himself of the nine people he trusted, dead or alive. Steve. Steve had been watching his back since the dawn of time, and he had been watching Steve's. Peggy. She had loved Steve for what he was, and before he was Captain America, and she had proved to be a remarkable woman. Sam. Steve had placed his trust in him, and so far he hadn't failed either or them. He was a good friend. Natasha. She was more complicated, but he trusted her, and could relate to her. Howard; he had helped Steve by providing him with things to keep him safe, and had answered his call for help when no one else (apart from Peggy), would. Wanda. She understood what it was like to be persecuted, to be haunted by the guilt of the damage caused by your own hands. Clint. He understood the trauma of being controlled by an enemy. Unable to act on your own will and moral, but instead trapped in someone's else's, unable to comprehend anything else. Mya, his psychologist. It had taken a while, but he finally found one he trusted, and one that could actually help. Brook, his dog. She had never left his side since they day they they met, until now.

"Benign."

This word had been particularly tricky to crack. It was the first word in the final stages of the transformation. The word typically means harmlessness. The opposite of what he would have been about to become. It was a sort of safe guard for Hydra, so the Winter Soldier didn't just start killing everybody in the room.

He had transformed it by thinking of harmless things he knew, or had done. Looking after Pre-Serum Steve, his first pet when he was young, and finally, himself. This was particularly hard for him to incorporate, because he couldn't bring himself to believe it. How could someone like him, who had done what he'd done, be harmless? Though, he felt it was also about what these words now where. Harmless.

"Homecoming."

Hydra had manipulated this words so that, homecoming, meant coming home to hydra, what they said was his home. A lie. He had changed this by thinking about what he considered home: Steve, Brooklyn, and now, The Avengers Tower.

"One."

This word referred to a countdown, the final word before the big one. The word that set everything off. Now it was the final word before nothing happened. The final word before the truth. That he was Bucky Barnes, and the next word wouldn't change that.

"Freight car."

The train. That's what it referred to. The train he had fallen off, the event that had lead to him becoming the Winter Soldier for the last Seventy Years. Now, it was the event that had lead him to be in the same time as Steve. After everything, the outcome had lead to Steve and him being together, once again.

The Hydra agents stopped, looking back up from his notebook. "Soldier?" he asked, expecting the typical reply.

Slowly, and with a new level of bravery, and possibly stupidity, Bucky raised his head and looked directly into the mans eyes defiantly, "is that the best you got?"

The hydra agent's eyes grew wide, and he turned to the one with the rifle. "He has not reacted to the words, how is that possible?"

"guess they just don't do the job anymore," Bucky let himself smirk, hiding the nervousness he felt. This could go south any moment. He just hopped that Steve, anybody would show up in time. He knew they would have noticed he had gone missing by now, and Steve knew he had his phone on him. He just hopped he got here soon.

The Hydra agent with the notepad cursed, writing something down. "We will have to try something else," he said to himself.

The agent next to him gestured behind him, to the chair. "We could reset him," he prompted.

Bucky felt his blood run cold.

* * *

 _To be continued…_


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot and Brook.**

 **A/N** **The current order for the AWB series is Symbol, Return, Nightmare, Frisbee Game, The Dog and the Storm, Raccoon Guy, Two Days, 34 Years Going on 100, and now Sputnik.**

 **This is a Bromance, and an intense one at that, but if you want to see it as a romance that's fine!**

* * *

 _Adventures with Bucky: Sputnik (part 2)_

Steve was only seconds behind Tony when he reached the Hydra base. By the looks of things, Tony seemed to have blasted in through the walls; so he decided to kick the door down. Steve felt momentarily overwhelmed from by the commotion he could now see. They had assessed that there were at least six agents in the building, and they had planned a deliberate attack with Natasha about how to take them out and retrieve his friend safely. However, as soon as his eyes had landed on Bucky, strapped to that cursed chair, his eyes wide and terrified, nothing else mattered but getting to his friend.

In one savage; rage filled movement, Steve delivered a killing blow to the temple of the nearest agent with his shield, before charging head on towards his friend, punching and kicking at anybody who got in his way. He was briefly aware of Tony blasting away anybody who got too close, allowing him safe access to his friend.

When he got to him, the first thing Steve noticed was Bucky's relief filled eyes and heaving chest, then the crackle of electricity emanating from the device just above Bucky's head, threatening the figure below it. Not wasting a moment, Steve turned to the computers next to the chair and went to work at deactivating everything with a cancel button. First, the electricity stopped, then the restraints on the chair clicked open.

His arm now free, Bucky flung the mouth guard aside disgustedly, before turning to face his friend. "Steve," he rasped, voice breaking.

Steve was back at his friend's side in an instant, helping him out of the chair. Bucky collapsed to the ground, and Steve followed him, pulling Bucky's shaking form into his arms. He felt like he was going to be sick, horrified at how close to disaster they had just come. He felt his friend clench the front of his shirt with his hand, breathing in deep, ragged breaths. Steve moved to rest his chin on his friend's head reassuringly, which was hidden against his chest. "I got you, Buck. You're safe. You're safe."

Bucky began to shake in a different way, his shoulders rising and falling slightly. Then came a muffled sob.

Steve felt his heart break, and tears began to well in his own eyes. He hadn't had to comfort Bucky like this since he first came back to him. Breathing deeply, Steve began to gently run his fingers comfortingly through Bucky's messy hair, repeating his mantra of reassurances as his friend cried. Sensing another figure nearby, he looked up to see Tony standing silently at the other side of the room, surrounded by fallen Hydra agents. He looked unsure of the situation. Carefully, Steve nodded in his direction, giving his thanks.

Tony returned the gesture, before turning to exit through the broken down door, presumably so he didn't startle Bucky by suddenly taking off through the ceiling. Steve supposed Natasha was waiting for them in the car, either for their return or call for backup. He guessed that Tony would fill her in, or she would figure it out herself. Most likely the later.

Steve let them stay there for a moment, allowing Bucky time to let his emotions out. He knew that Bucky had started showing a lot of reluctance to express any fear based emotions lately, and he needed to let it out. So he waited, offering more reassurance. Slowly, Steve felt Bucky's shaking stop, and his breathing slow.

After a few more minutes, Bucky moved his head away from under Steve's chin. Steve adjusted, so they were face to face, able to see Bucky's red and tired eyes. He tucked a lock of hair behind his ear. "You ready to go home?"

Bucky nodded, looking increasingly tired, "yeah." He offered a small smile, "home."

* * *

The drive back to the Avengers Tower had started off with a troubled silence. All three of those inside the car lost in their thoughts, mulling over what had just happened. Natasha was in the front driving, while Steve and Bucky sat in the back. Steve had taken the left window seat with Bucky resting against him, head on his shoulder, exhausted.

Bucky could feel Steve's arm wrapped comfortingly around his waist. He sensed that Steve was also taking comfort from it as well, needing the reassurance that he was safe and still with him. He also knew that Steve was probably beating himself up on the inside, blaming himself. Steve had promised him this wouldn't happen when he had first returned, though it had happened. He didn't want Steve to feel like that. "It's not your fault Steve," he said.

Steve looked down at Bucky, surprised. "How did you…?"

Bucky shrugged as best he could, not moving his head from Steve's shoulder. "Just did."

"I made you a promise, Buck," Steve said, bowing his head. "I broke that promise."

Shaking his head, Bucky lifted his head so he could see Steve, "No you didn't, I'm still here."

"I'm still sorry."

Bucky closed his eyes, moving his head back to Steve's shoulder. He was too tired for this. "I'm the one who should be apologising."

Natasha, who seemed to know that this conversation could last another century, decided to speak up. "Steve. Bucky. It's no one's fault, so no one needs to apologise," she said, turning the car to the left smoothly. "Besides Steve, you haven't told Bucky yet."

Bucky raised his head, feeling confused. "Told me what?" He turned to look at Steve in question.

Steve gave him a small smile. "Brook's still alive, Buck."

After a moment, when the full meaning of Steve' sword sunk in, Bucky smiled. A wide toothy grin. The first one in a long time. He felt a sudden rush of happiness; not all was as bad as it seemed.

"Sam picked her up," Natasha said, meeting Bucky's eyes in the rear-view mirror. "She's been seen by a vet but has to stay a few nights for observation."

Bucky sat up, no longer leaning on Steve. "Can we go see her?"

Steve tightened his arm around Bucky's arm, "It's a bit too late at night, Buck," he said, looking guiltily at his friend, "I promise we can go see her in the morning."

Bucky sighed, feeling disappointed. He let himself fall back against Steve's side, once again resting his head on his shoulder. "Ok, Steve."

* * *

Steve had been reading in bed for a few hours now, but somehow hadn't been able to read more than a few pages, his thoughts distracting him. His mind was yet to process the events of the day entirely, and he was once again reminded how quickly a normal, peaceful day can turn into the complete opposite or normal and peaceful. Sighing, Steve once again moved his eyes to the top of the page, trying to focus on the words on the page instead of the ones in his head.

Then there came a knock on his door.

He knew who it was in an instant, though before he could get up the door creaked open, revealing Bucky, his eyes showing just how tired he was. Steve felt concern bubble inside him. "You ok, Buck?"

Bucky shook his head, entering the room, "can't sleep. Not without Brook."

Steve nodded in understanding, before gesturing to the space next to him, "you want to lie down?" he asked.

Bucky nodded, running a hand through his hair. "If that's ok with you?"

"Of course it is, Buck," Steve replied, shuffling over to the left. "You can stay as long as you want."

Seeming less anxious now that he wasn't alone, Bucky moved over to lie down on the right side of the bed. He stared at the ceiling, right arm resting on his chest. "Thanks' Steve."

Steve smiled, glad that his friend had decided to come to him instead of lying awake all night. "No problem, Buck," he replied, before chuckling suddenly, "on your left."

Bucky rolled his eyes, shoving his left shoulder into Steve's side, "let it go Steve. Sam and I are tired of it."

Letting out a laugh, Steve placed the book on his bedside table and lied down as well, "Never." Inside jokes were the only form comedy he seemed to get right, or fall victim to it would seem. He didn't dare swear in front of any of the Avengers now, especially Bucky, who found it absolutely hilarious when he found out about 'language.'

"Hey, Steve," Bucky asked, turning his head to look at Steve.

"Yeah, Buck?"

"I think It's time we got rid of the deactivation word, the trigger words didn't work on me when they said them," Bucky confided.

Steve rolled onto his side, so he could see his friend, feeling a swell of pride in his chest. "Really? That's great Buck."

Bucky moved so he was also on his side. "Yeah, for a second I thought what we had been practising wouldn't work, especially when it was actually them saying it. But the words didn't do a thing," he said, looking sheepish at the sight of the proud look on Steve's face. "I just wish I didn't let them know they weren't working."

Realising _them_ was referring to Hydra, Steve gave Bucky's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Is that why they were trying to reset you?" he asked gently.

Bucky looked away, tears threatening to form.

Steve clenched his jaw, feeling a pang in his heart as he let his fingers run comfortingly through Bucky's hair once. "You're safe now."

Bucky nodded. "I know."

They lay there for a while. Bucky's eyes were closed, but Steve couldn't seem to close his, and not because of the light. He couldn't seem to look away from his friend, afraid that if he did Bucky would simply disappear or somehow turn out to still be in the hands of Hydra. Steve sighed, pushing the thoughts aside and instead began to study Bucky's face. He wouldn't say he looked peaceful, for his jaw was set, and his brows were knitted slightly, but he didn't look nearly as distressed as he used to look when he slept.

"Steve, can we got to sleep now, my shoulder is kind of hurting from lying on it for so long."

Not asleep then, Steve realised, turning off the lights. "Of course, Buck."

"Night, Steve."

Steve smiled, "night, Buck."

* * *

Bucky couldn't stop fidgeting. If he had to sit in this bloody waiting room for one more minute… It wasn't even a doctor's waiting room; they were at the vet! Sighing, he began to tap his knee up and down, nervous about the whole ordeal. _What if she doesn't trust me anymore?_ _What if she's too badly hurt?_ He shook his head anxiously. Now wasn't the time for such thoughts. Brook was alive, and that's all that mattered right now.

"You okay, Buck?" Steve asked, placing a hand on his shoulder to still him.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just nervous is all."

Steve nodded, "I'm sure she's fine Buck."

Bucky hoped that Steve was right. "I can't bear to think about her being hurt. Believing her to be dead was painful enough, but knowing she is in pain and alive is worse," he said, running his hand through his hair.

"That's how I felt when I found out you were still alive," Steve said quietly.

Not sure how to respond, Bucky looked to the ground.

Steve frowned, "I didn't mean to make you feel bad, Buck," he said worriedly.

"No, I mean I know. I just- I don't know," Bucky said, his brow furrowed.

Steve gave him a reassuring smile, "that's ok, Buck."

They sat quietly for a few more minutes, watching as many people and their pets came and go. As the minutes wore on, Bucky began to feel increasingly anxious, so it came with great relief went the receptionist finally gave the all clear, and he was allowed to proceed.

And there she was.

Well, most of her. Bucky felt his heart skip a beat when he saw that his dog was missing most of her right foreleg. He went to her side in a sudden lurch, needing to see her up close so he could comprehend she was alive.

Instantly, Brook began to lick his face excitedly, and Bucky's fears disappeared. He laughed happily, scratching behind her ears. "You gave me quite a scare there, Brook. You had to go and get yourself shot didn't you?" he said, smiling.

Brook simply licked his face again.

"Ok, I know you're sorry. Just don't throw yourself into trouble like that again, ok. I'm ok too, thanks to you," he praised. "And look, we have matching missing limbs now," he finished, trying to put away with some of the anxiousness he felt at the sight of her missing foreleg.

"She suffered severe tissue damage. The safest option was to remove the limb," the vet said, her heart warming at the reunion. "We can fit her for a prosthetic leg when she is recovered."

Bucky rubbed the back of Brook's neck. "Yeah, that sounds good. I'm due for a new arm too, so we'll soon me matching," he said light-heartedly.

The vet smiled, "I'll let you know when she's able to go home," she said. "For now though she needs to stay here and get some rest under observation."

Bucky took the hint that Brook needed to sleep, reluctantly, he moved away, but not before scratching her ears one more time. "I'll see you again soon Brook," he said sadly, before turning to the vet. "Thank you, for everything."

The vet smiled. "It's no problem."

Giving a sad smile, Bucky walked out of the room, leaving Brook behind.

When he reached the waiting room, Steve jumped to his feet. Seeming ready to offer any support necessary. "She's fine. She lost her right leg, but she's fine," he said, letting Steve give him a quick, reassuring embrace.

Steve pulled away. "Are you fine too?"

"Yeah. It was a bit of a shock, seeing her like that. But I'm ok. We're going to have matching limbs," he said, trying to smile.

Steve nodded his head at Bucky's left shoulder, or what was left of it. "We should see if Tony's designs are ready yet."

"Ok fine, but I want a shield painted it on it this time. And I want one of those blasters or a laser beam. I'm not accepting anything less."

Steve chuckled, "You're ridiculous."

"Say's the guy who jumped out of a plane without a parachute."

Steve threw his hands in the air in defeat. "Oh my God, that was one time!"

Sensing an opportunity, Bucky gave him a look of mock outrage. "Language, Rogers!"

Sighing in defeat, Steve rolled his eyes. Seeming to realise something, he gave a smirk, "Raccoon Guy."

"Ultimate Frisbee Thrower."

"Jerk."

"Punk."


End file.
